The system was designed long ago, all the parts were specified and the installation is finally complete. There is just one problem, something is not working as expected. Now the real fun begins. Troubleshooting a large system with many devices takes a methodical approach, and it is often time consuming and frustrating. Since RIBs typically find their home between a controller or sensor and a load, verifying their operation as part of the larger system is another task on the troubleshooting list. Fortunately, most of our basic RIB relays can be tested without much effort, and the rest of this blog with explain how that can be done.
Our relays can be thought of as having two sides, the coil (or control) side, and the contact (or load) side. These are represented on the left and right side of our data sheet diagrams respectively (see Figures 1 and 2 below). For the purposes of this blog, I will be discussing how to troubleshoot the RIBU1C, but the same principles can be applied to most of our relay products. To begin troubleshooting your RIB, you will need a multimeter (for resistance and voltage measurements) and a voltage source compatible with the coil voltage requirements. Make sure the voltage source can supply enough current at the rated voltage to energize the relay. The current requirement can be found on the product data sheet in the "Coil Current" section.
Troubleshooting Steps:
These are general steps that will cover most of our Pilot and Power Series relays. When applying voltage to the input of any device, verify the product is rated to accept that voltage.
To check the coil input on a model with an H/O/A switch, put the switch in the Auto position and perform the "Verify coil operation" steps above. In Steps 3 and 6, only the appropriate contact (N/O or N/C) needs to be checked. If the unit being tested passes all the troubleshooting steps above, it is functioning as designed.
As always, our Technical Support team is here to help if you require additional assistance.
Functional Devices, Inc., located in the United States of America, has been designing and manufacturing quality electronic devices since 1969. Our mission is to enhance lives in buildings and beyond. We do so by designing and manufacturing reliable, high-quality products for the building automation industry. Our suite of product offerings include RIB relays, current sensors, power controls, power supplies, transformers, lighting controls, and more.
We test 100% of our products, which leads to less than 1 out of every 16,000 products experiencing a failure in the field.
Simply put, we provide users of our various products confidence and peace of mind in every box.